The Price Of Failure
by livebyinsanity
Summary: Season 5 final spoilers! Morgana tortures Gwaine for Arthur's whereabouts. Two-shot. Now COMPLETE
1. Gwaine

_Merlin. Series 5 final spoilers. Two-shot._

~x~0~x~

**The Price Of Failure**

**Gwaine**

Gwaine groaned. He felt as though he had been trampled by over a hundred horses. Or worse – a hundred knights in training. Gwaine was lying on his back and he could feel rocks jarring like daggers into his side. He heaved, attempting to roll over into a more comfortable position. However, the ropes which were bound tightly to his wrists snapped into action and Gwaine fell back against the dirt.

Startled, Gwaine's eyes opened.

He was surprised not to be in bed or camped somewhere with the other knights. Gwaine tugged at his arms but the effort was fruitless.

"Hello Gwaine."

At the sound of the voice, Gwaine's head jerked to the right.

It was Morgana.

And then he remembered. Camlann. Eira. Eira's betrayal and subsequent execution. Him and Percival's revenge. So, they had failed, Gwaine grimaced. He tried to look around. Where was Percival then? Was Percival dead?

A black garbed foot pressed against his chest, drawing Gwaine's gaze back towards Morgana who peered at him inquisitively.

"None of that Gwaine." The high priestess said calmly. "Now tell me where Arthur is."

"Never." Gwaine responded without hesitation; he kept a cheeky smile on his face, a brazen attempt to mask his trepidation and the wild thumping of his heart.

Morgana's serene display suddenly vanished. Gwaine was reminded of those who had fallen to dorocha. They were alive but it was like they had been emptied of all liveliness and emotion. Like Morgana, all that remained was an unrelenting coldness.

"Well." Morgana stated flatly. "We shall see."

Gwaine flinched as with a dramatic flourish Morgana pulled out a small snake which hissed menacingly. Morgana's threats were mostly unheard as Gwaine scrambled to back away from the snake, a nathair. Once again, the ropes clawed, like a rabid frostbite into Gwaine's skin. Gwaine had no idea what the snake did but he sensed danger from it; Gwaine was fairly sure that the snake was a creature of dark magic. That wouldn't bode well for him.

"Tell me where Arthur is." Morgana demanded as her arms reached outwards, pushing the snake towards Gwaine.

"No!" Gwaine bit back, with some difficulty.

Morgana snarled and the snake was thrust into his body. Its magical properties quickly dissolved the metal of Gwaine's armour; he yelped as the onyx scales made contact with his flesh.

And then it bit him.

For a moment, Gwaine was staring at Morgana's cruel, vindictive smile. He shivered.

The next, moment there was pain. Agony. Pain beyond anything Gwaine had previously experienced. Although the snake had only bitten him in the shoulder, Gwaine felt as though his entire body was on fire or alternately being torn apart by wyverns. He screamed; it was so loud that Gwaine thought there were ten voices multiplying within his own. Or maybe it was caused by his body's vibrations as he writhed on the ground. Gwaine couldn't tell.

"Tell me where Arthur is hiding!" The pain momentarily ebbed.

Gwaine shook his head. He was defiant.

The snake lashed out once more, piercing his arms and side. Gwaine cried out as the snake burrowed its head into his side. His vision blurred into a mass of indistinguishable grey shapes. He could taste blood but it seemed to be coming from everywhere. He was being tugged to pieces! Gwaine was sure that his bodily organs were exploding, reinforced by the fact that he couldn't see anything. Were those fires he saw growing out of the grey smog?

"That is a nathair." Morgana's disembodied voice punctuated through Gwaine's mind. "With a little persuading, it is known to cause the most exquisite pain. Not just in the body but in the centre of one's soul."

Gwaine panted as the snake pulled out slightly. He squinted in Morgana's direction.

She crouched in front of him, forcing him to meet her gaze with unsteady eyes.

"Poor Gwaine." The sorceress cooed. "All this pain can end, you know? All you have to do is tell me about Arthur. Where he's going. Where he is."

Gwaine rasped, "You're going to have to kill me."

In a flash of gold, Morgana conjured a sharp dagger and used her magic to hurl it into Gwaine's exposed palm. Gwaine howled as Morgana summoned the knife back towards her.

He could feel a small fountain of blood spewing from his hand; it was definitely real, not imagined. Gwaine clenched his teeth. He couldn't risk himself saying something. He couldn't!

Changing tack, Morgana began to speak again. "I've got your friend, Percival tied up to a few trees over there." She grinned gleefully, hearing Gwaine's gas. "Yes, with a few little words of mine, I can kill him."

Gwaine looked down.

"I _will _kill him unless I find out where Arthur is."

Morgana's eyes lit up and she started to murmur under her breath.

Without thinking, Gwaine blurted out. "Avalon."

Morgana glowed like a five year old who had been given a tower of presents for Christmas. Gwaine paled in horror. He remembered yearning that Percival, his best friend could not die.

"Well that wasn't so hard was it Gwaine." Morgana smiled as she placed the nathair in its box but not before the snake struck Gwaine at the base of his neck.

She left. Gwaine paid her no mind.

Gwaine had failed. He knew it. He had sent the insane witch on a one way road towards Arthur – the very thing that Gaius and Guinevere had tried to avoid! He had failed himself, his king and subsequently failed Camelot itself. All those knights who had died in Camlann; it would be a terrible waste if Morgana was allowed to win now. He had failed.

"Gwaine!" Someone called his name.

It was Percival! Gwaine attempted to lift his head but the blood loss made him drowsy and Gwaine was unable to do so. Percival dropped to his knees, lifting Gwaine's head in desperation.

Seeing Percival reminded Gwaine of what he had just done.

"She's heading for Avalon."

"I've failed."

~x~0~x~

AN: Thanks for reading! Please review!


	2. Percival

**Percival**

Several moments earlier, Percival's arms were tired. He had roused from unconsciousness to find his wrists stretched upwards and each one was tied to a different tree. Percival gave the ropes a sharp tug but they refused to yield and remained taut against his skin. Percival had been disarmed; he scanned the leafy area around him but nothing remotely sharp was in sight. Not that it would have helped much – Percival's hands weren't exactly available to him.

Percival remembered. He and Gwaine had laid out a plan to ambush Morgana. The last thing he remembered was stabbing the high priestess in the back. Clearly, if he was trussed up like a wild animal, the plan had failed. So, where was Morgana now?

More importantly, where was Gwaine?

A loud, gut-wrenching scream answered his question. It ripped violently through his heart and Percival knew, without doubt that it was the anguished sound of his best friend. Wherever Gwaine was, he was hurting; most likely by the hand of Morgana. And that meant that Percival was hurting too.

With renewed vigour, Percival pulled at the ropes. Gritting his teeth, Percival wound the ropes around his hands, making the remaining rope as short as possible.

Then he tensed; the motion lifted his feet above the ground. Percival's muscles clenched ferociously. Against the backdrop of Gwaine's cries, Percival refused to let go. His arms strained with exhaustion; Percival let out a thunderous groan of his own. _Just a little longer now. _He thought, light-headedly.

For a moment, Percival thought that his arms would drop off and he would have no option but to start the entire process again.

The next second, Percival could feel his bottom collide ungracefully with the grass and bushes beneath him. Wasting no time, Percival hurled himself to his feet. The remaining pieces of fragmented rope dropped like confetti around him as Percival rushed, using all the stamina and endurance training Arthur had drilled into his knights. Percival followed the trail of Gwaine's screams. He winced every time the noise was heard but also felt slightly relived. At least Gwaine wasn't dead. _Yet. _That thought sent a shudder down Percival's spine. Morgana was cruel and ruthless. Percival urged himself to move faster.

He almost ran past Gwaine. The screams had stopped for over a minute and that fact terrified Percival. He could think of no other action except to run in the direction he had last heard Gwaine's voice. Percival was lucky that at the right moment he stumbled on some loose rocks, allowing him to notice the silver grey colour associated with armour which stood out from the lush green scenery.

"Gwaine!" Percival exclaimed.

He had found him! However, Percival's relief shifted back to terror as he dropped to his knees in front of brunet and Gwaine had not responded to him.

Frantic, Percival reached out, cupping the back of Gwaine's neck. Their eyes met and Percival was shocked by the self-loathing and misery he could see in his friend's gaze.

"She's heading for Avalon." Gwaine rasped. "I've failed."

"No, you didn't." Percival rushed to reassure. "You haven't failed, Gwaine, you never have."

Percival remembered the vagabond he had met when Morgana had first taken over Camelot. That man was strong, skilled and had an easy going personality that complimented Percival's own. That man was his friend. Against the odds, they had survived together, in Morgana's underground camp.

"You haven't failed." Percival murmured.

"I'm sorry." Gwaine whispered; his eyes watered with regret and sadness.

Percival saw the exact moment that those eyes, normally full of warmth, turned lifeless. It was as though a blanket of fog passed through them and in the aftermath the essence of Gwaine – that spark which made him so friendly, intelligent and lively had been stolen. Percival was looking into an emptiness, reflected by the emptiness inside his own heart.

He felt a sense of profound loss.

The world, Camelot, life – would never be the same.

Percival dropped his head so that it rested against Gwaine's forehead. In the middle of the woods, far away from any other human eyes, for the first time in as long as he could remember, Percival cried.

~x~0~x~

He brought the body back of course. The thought of Gwaine's body trapped within Morgana's torture place at the mercy of animals or the elements of nature sickened Percival. Although he was aching and fatigued, Percival carried Gwaine's limp form back towards Camelot.

_He will get a proper burial. _Percival promised. He would kill any person who dared to take that final right away from his friend. _He will be remembered forever._

Leon met him on the outside steps. He took one glance into Percival's arms and his face turned ashen pale.

"Gwaine." Leon stated in abject horror; really, what else could he possibly say?

"He was the best friend anyone could have." Percival's voice was hoarse and choked.

Leon placed a hand on his fellow knight's shoulder. It was only a small comfort.

"Are you alright?" Leon asked hesitatingly.

Percival stared at Leon.

Without answering, he turned and walked away.

~x~0~x~

Arthur revealed to be dead. Guinevere made queen. Several weeks had passed. Slowly, Camelot's daily routines returned to normalcy.

For Percival, normalcy was an alien concept. He had organised Gwaine's funeral. The body had been burnt atop a pyre while the ashes had been scattered into the winds. Gwaine would have wanted that – to wander as free in death as he had journeyed in life. And although everyone believed that each of those ashes had been truly released into nature, Percival knew the truth.

The truth was that he had kept a few pieces in a jar inside his quarters.

It was a way of deluding himself that a part of Gwaine still remained with him. That Percival wasn't alone.

It was a way of torture. A way of forcing himself to relive that last day of Gwaine's life.

Percival wished that he'd been stronger. That he'd told Gwaine – the plan was a harebrained scheme, it was doomed to come undone. He should have been the voice of reason that day. He should have known...

"I'm sorry, Gwaine." At night he would sigh into the darkened room. "I'm sorry that I failed you."

~x~0~x~

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this story. Please review :)


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